Server move - Complete

[IanKennedy]

We're once again going to be performing a server move. This time it is pretty much the same hardware as last time but there's a Black Friday deal on, that should save me 20% over the next year or so. So if you haven't been through one of these moves before. It goes pretty much as follows:

• A new server is purchased and setup along side the old one.
• All data is migrated from the old server to the new one.
• I'll setup and configure the DNS to point to the new server.
• Forum access is frozen at this point on the old server. No posting will be possible.
• Access will be possible on the new server.

It can take a few hours to days for your DNS to update and point to the new server. I will do what I can to minimise that downtime. Once your local DNS is updated you will find the new server and be able to post again. I will provide warning as to when this is going to start.

[Tinadrin Chelnor]

Thank you for the update, glad you've found a decent deal.

[IanKennedy]

So the initial work has been done. The new server is configured and a test migration performed. I've set the DNS to update more frequently, in an attempt to shorten the time required for the rollout.

The plan is to freeze and start the process Monday morning UK time. I would do it tomorrow but I'm not in all day Sunday and don't want to take any chances.

[Nutso]

Understood, Ian. Thanks for everything.

[RK_Striker_JK_5]

Thanks for keeping us updated on this.

[IanKennedy]

OK, we're about to move... see you on the other side.

[IanKennedy]

If you are seeing this you are attached to the new server and can use the forum.

[Tinadrin Chelnor]

Awesome, thank you, glad all was successful

[IanKennedy]

Yes, with time each DNS will update and you will end up here, rather than the old server.

I helped it along by setting the "time to live" on DNS entries to 15 mins last Friday. This affects the time that a given DNS should cache an IP address before having to go back to basics and look it up again. The only issue is that some DNS will ignore this value and only use the default (24h). There are also levels of DNS and each can have to wait for the one above it to update. Anyhow, by now it should be up to date.